HOW BLACK MOTHERS SAY I LOVE YOU

The line between self-sacrifice and self-preservation can be hard to distinguish in Factory Theatre’s pleasurable presentation of How Black Mother’s Say I Love you on stage until March 5, 2017.

DELIGHTFULLY SURPRISING

If you’re the kind of person that spends a bit more time reflecting on the bad rather than the good, you may find very good company with Claudette(Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah).

And while an estranged daughter is likely to have a few unresolved issues upon returning home, those that require answers in this warm, culturally curated offering are unlike anything you’ve heard before.

That’s because relationships with parental units are always tricky business. And they become even trickier when the terminally ill churchgoer mother, Daphne (Ordena Stephens-Thompson), quits medical treatment and patiently awaits to meet her maker.

But along with comfy lifestyled sister, Valerie (Allison Edwards-Crewe), Daphne is here to help. Which might only be half the battle it turns out to be if a greater level of respect was shown for both her feelings and decisions.

Playwright Trey Anthony’s tinkered salute to Caribbean upbringing is by no means a sophisticated exercise in storytelling. Yet each layer she peels back for a closer observation of secrets, truth, hurt, and reconciliation is undeniably genuine and delightfully surprising in this elevated staging complimented by a sleek sound design.

Sucks as it my that progenitors will always struggle to respond to the generation gap in our forever changing world, How Black Mother’s Say I Love You is all about the actions that speak far louder than words ever will.